As of right now, the odds of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals being the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics are high.
So naturally, some people are understandably excited for Wednesday’s regular-season matchup between the Cavs and Celtics, and lots of media members are trying to hype it up.
One person who isn’t more pumped than normal for the regular season contest is playing in it: LeBron James.
The 32-year-old has won four MVPs, was the first overall pick in 2003, is a 13-time All-Star, has been named to 10 All-NBA First Teams and 5 NBA All-Defensive Teams, has won two Olympic gold medals, and twice been named the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. On top of all of that, LeBron is a three-time NBA champion and has been to the NBA Finals each of the last six seasons.
So it’s maybe a bit understandable that James doesn’t think a regular season game is worth a ton of hype, regardless of the matchup.
“Their crowd is going to be great, and it’s a very good team we’re going to be playing against tomorrow,” James said after the Cavaliers’ 122-102 win against the Orlando Magic Tuesday. “We know that. Taking nothing from them, they’ve been playing some great ball, but I’m not one to get caught up in the regular season. I’m sorry. I’ve been to six straight Finals, man. I’m the last person to ask about a regular-season game, dude. Sorry.”
That’s a completely understandable and perfectly okay answer. LeBron is right, a regular season game shouldn’t be hyped up a ton. Part of the reason why is big-time players are sat all the time now due to “rest” even in big time games. On top of that, the NBA (and the East in particular) is so top-heavy, it’s not like the Cavaliers have to worry too much about their chances to make at least the conference semifinals.
Despite all of these factors, this game does have some relevance. Both teams have 5 games left in the regular season and sit at 50-27 atop the Eastern Conference standings. With a win in Boston, Cleveland would own the tiebreaker if they finished with the same number of wins.
So while LeBron isn’t going to go crazy about the game, it is pretty important and his teammates realize it. Kevin Love said it’s a “good test” and Kyrie Irving told reporters he “can’t wait.” Still, LeBron’s comments may be more honest (at least from his own perspective), and they show the difference between how some athletes see regular-season games and the narratives some media and fans try to craft around them.
At the end of the day, my guess is that LeBron cares more about his team being healthy and ready for the playoffs than he does about the hype of a single regular season game. Boston is a strong team this year and LeBron doesn’t want to end his NBA Finals appearances streak at six. That’s totally understandable, but it did lead to a great quote here, and it showed that LeBron’s priorities aren’t necessarily the same as those of fans or journalists.
